Beowulf
has some obtuse turns for a modern audience. The story builds up Grendel as the
primary threat when we eventually learn that his mother is a greater threat.
The two conflicts establish Beowulf as a hero, but then we skip to fifty year
later when Beowulf is an old king for his last battle against a dragon.

For
once I think the movie made a better story. Grendal’s mom being the most
compelling villain, partly because she acts first on vengeance which for the
culture was a proper response to Grendel’s death. When the hero confronts the
mother she seduces and uses him, in time he is forced to face that and his own
weakness.

Back
to the written work, what makes Grendal’s mother a more potent threat for me is
the lair. I think this is a good lesson for fantasy design, its not filled with
traps but obstacles and the set up is creepy. The lair mimics a hall like the
one Beowulf is from, it’s a twisted mirror of culture, modeled the same way but
inaccessible to society.

Give
Beowulf another read it sounds like an RPG campaign, there’s even a sword that
kills the main bad guy in the dungeon. Apologies to my regulars I do not have
the energy for more crunch today… Consider this another open call throw an email
in the comments section and we’ll chat.

Attributes: Like most warrior types you need to have good physical stats though you can get by on a lowish con if you’re a skirmisher...

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